Ceramic sorting machine



July 17, 192s. 1,677,862 R. P. HERROLD CERAMIC SORTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 26, 1924 423 INVENTOR July 17, 1928. 1,677,862

R. P. HERROLD CERAMIC soRTING rfa/CHINE l Filed sept. 2e, 1924- 3 sheets-sheet 2 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 R. P. HERROLD CERAMIC SORTING MACHINE lled Sept. 26, 1924A Y B N\ Q a n@ mw M W1 i m m M11 XMIM t vi n. Hw www 1./ Q l? 5 (Q WM@ ,f m. m%\ o o o\\ July 17, 1928.

' A'rroRNEY Patented July 17, 192s.

UNITED STATES PATENT n OFFICE.

RUSSELL I. HERR/OLD, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE MOSAIC TILE COM- PANY, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

CERAMIC SORTTNG MACHINE.

` This invention relates to improvements in ceramic sorting machines.

In the process of firing orfburning tiles, the units are stacked in a container or saggar and in order to keep thesame from sticking together, they are surrounded with a layer of sand. Notwithstanding this precaution, it frequently happens that some of the units in a saggar become stuck together. It is therefore necessary to sort out or separate the unstuck units from thoseI that are stuck together and also to separate and remove the accompanying sand.

It is one of the objects Vof this invention to produce a machine which will, preferably in a single continuous operation, separate the sand from the charge or load and sort out and separate the perfect individual unstuck units from the imperfect units which are stuck together. f

Another object of this invention is to produce a simple machine by which a charge of Vfired tiles or the like fed into the machine at one end are caused to have simultaneous tumbling and travelling movements, and by which, in a single operation or passage through the machine, the sand will be first separated from t-he charge; the perfect individual or single units will then be separated therefrom and the residue, comprising imperfect or stuck units, will be discharged at the opposite end of the machine. To this end, I provide a rotatable charging drum having a plurality of communicating sections provided with sieving apertures of varying width over which the charge or load moves during its continuous passage through zthe machine, and through which apertures the sand and the perfect tiles will be sieved out of the charge and the residue or balance of the load, comprising stuck tiles or units which are too large to pass through the sievingrapertures, will be passed over the same and through a discharge aperture at the opposite end of the drum.

' Another object of this invention is to so mount a rotatable drum that the travelling movement of the chargethrough the machine and the discharge of the stuck tiles therefrom may be accomplished by gravity durl ing the rotation of the drum.

Another object of my invention is to arrange the axis of rotation of the drum at `such an inclined pitch that the sieving sur- 'faces ofthe drum will be caused to have a Application led September 26, 1924. Serial No. 740,047.

relatively long, helicoidal line of contact with the charge or load so that all the sand and perfect tiles may be separated and segregated. from lthe charge by a single passage through a drum of minimum length and diameter. Another object of this invention is to produce a machine of this type which will carry its own power devices and will be readily portable so as to be movable from one kiln to another. To that end, the rotatable drum is supported in a suitable frame mounted on wheels and carrying a motor and powertransmission mechanism for rotating the drum.

vWit-h these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination ofv members and arrangement of parts so combined vas to co-act and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichz- Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a machine embodying my invention; i Fig. 2 is a rear View in elevation ofthe machine shown in Fig. 1;'

Fig. k3 is an enlarged longitudinal section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4fof Fig. 3; f

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a detail of portion off spider rim employed. l l

Referring now to these drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 indicates a frame or skeleton comprising upright corner posts la connected together by longitudinal frame members 1b and transverse frame members 1c. Mounted within the frame l is a rotatable sieving drum 3 divided into a plurality of communieating sieving compartments having `cylindrical screenvwalls of varying mesh for the p-urpose hereinafter specified. In the embodiment shown, the drum 3 is lixedon a shaft 4 mounted at opposite ends to krot-ate in bearing brackets 5---5a resting upon transverse shelves 6 6a supported on the frame l. The shaft 4 may be rotated from any suitable source of power but I prefer, as in the preferred embodiment illustrated, to drive the shaft from a motor mounted on the frame so that the machine will be a selfcontained power unit. As illustrated, the shaft l has vfixed thereon a bevelled gear 30 which meshes yments are formed by mounting upon the shaft 4 at the front and rear ends and also intermediate such ends spiders 8 9 and 10 respectively, and mounting on the annular edges of such spiders two sets of circumfer entially spaced round rods, which when so arranged form the cylindrical screen walls of the compartments 7 7zx of the drum. As illustrated, the opposite rims or annular edges of the spiders are bored with two circumferential series of apertures and the opposite ends of the round rods 11 are inserted into these apertures so as to provide a cylindricalwall formed of such spacedrods for the said compartment 7. Said rods are so spaced a distance less than the thickness of a tile so that when a load comprising a saggar full of tiles which have been fired or burned are inserted therein-and rotated or tumbled, the sand, dust and small pieces will be separated from such load without, however, permitting any of the tiles to pass through the space or slots between the said rods.

spiders 9 and 10 are likewise pierced with spaced holes or apertures 9b and 10a and a series of round rods 12 have their opposite ends inserted in such apertures, so asto pro-v vide a cyllndricalwall formed of such spacedv rods for the said compartment 7a. These 1- rods 12 are spaced apart a distance slightly l greater tha-n the thickness of a tile, so that when a loador charge of tiles are tumbled in this compartment the spaces between the rods will serve as gaugingA apertures or slots and the single perfect tiles will be caused to pass between the same while all imperfect or stuck together tiles will not .be passed through such apertures.

The charge or load is preferably causedto Y travel longitudinally through the machine while it is being tumbled in the tumbling compartments and in order that all the sand, as well as the perfect tiles, may be separated and segregated from the charge by a single passage through a tumbling drum of minimum length and diameter the load is, during such tumbling action, caused to have a contact with the spaced rods which com- The opposite` rims or edges of the.

prise the cylindrical walls of the drum in a relatively long helicoidal line. This is preferably accomplished by. causing the load to be moved by the action of gravity assisted by the tumbling movementthereof, and in the preferred form shown the shaft 4 is mounted to -havea pitch inclining downwardly from the charging to t-he discharging end of such a degree as to procure the most effective sieving and gauging actionin a single passage of the charge through the machine7 it being apparent that the pitch of the helicoidal line of contact with the screen walls ofthe drum will be proportionate to the angle of inclination of the shaft 4.

The forward or charging end of the drum 3 is provided with a plate'l?) Ywhich has a circular charging opening 14C with which the lower end of an inclined charging. chute,A

15 connects. upper end with a platform 16, on which a saggar or other receptacle filled with fired or burned tiles may be supported `before dumping. lhen va saggar is so dumped thel charge will pass down through the chute 15 and into the sa-nd-sieving compartment 7 where it will, as aforesaid, betumbled and vcaused to travel forwardly, ,the combined movements causing the load to have a helicoidal line of contactl with the bars 11 form:v

compartment. so that when said charge reaches the communicating compartment 7a it will be substantially'free of such dust and.

small pieces. Aarranged beneath said sandsieving compartment 7 1s a sandbin or compartment 17 Ahaving a fioor plate 18 inclined transversely and downwardly toward one side of the machine. The sand', dust and broken pieces sieved out between such bars are thus caused by gravity to be shifted to one side of the machine where they may be The chute 15 connects at itsy removed through a door 19 hinged at 20 and preferably having at its upper end spring latches 21 adapted to latch the door-way in its closed position. i n

In Ysaid compartment 7", the gauging spaces between the rods 12 are, as aforesaid,

arranged t-o permit only single or perfect tiles to pass therethrough and the length andv diameter of the compartment are such as to cause all the single units or perfect unstuck tiles in a load to be gauged and passed through such apertures between the bars12. lVhen'so passed through the bars 12the major portion of the perfect tiles in the load will successively drop by gravity into a perfect tile bin or compartment 22 and on longitudinally and oppositely-inclined floor plates 23-23a located therein and' will thereafter slide by gravity on suchl 28-23a- Thereafter the tiles will by gravity slide in the chute 24 to the side of the machine where they may be removed through a door 25 which is hinged at 25a and hasv a latch bolt 26.

All tiles in the charge which are stuck together or are otherwise so deformed as to prevent the passage through the gauging grooves between the rods will be caused to travel forwardly and will be discharged from the rear end of the drum, passing through a chute 27 to any suitable receptacle which may be positioned beneath the same.

The machine is preferably portable to enable movement from one kiln to another and, as shown, the frame l is for this purpose mounted upon front and rear wheels 2-23.

The operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description.

Having described my invention, Iclaimz- 1. A sorting machine for ceramic units embodying a tumbling-drum having a. charging opening at one end, a discharge opening at the opposite end, and being divided into communicating sand-sieving and unit-gauging compartments, said sand-sieving compartment having a screen wall provided with apertures of less width than the thickness of the unit to be sorted and said unitgauging compartment having a screen wall unobstructed on its interior surface and provided with elongated gauging apertures of slightly greater width than the thickness of the units to Vbe sorted, means for supporting said drum with its axis in incompartment, and another independent bin having means arranged closely adjacent t0 the bottom of the unit-gauging compartment for receiving without breakage units passing through the gauging apertures of said unitgauging compartments.

'2. A sortingL machine for ceramic units embodying a drum having al charging opening `at one end, a discharge opening at the opposite end, and being divided into communicating sand-sieving and unit-gauging compartments, said sand-sieving compartment having a screen wall composed of a series of longitudinally-disposed round bars spaced from each other to provide screening apertures of less width than the thickness of a unit to be sorted and said unit-gauging compartment having a screen wall unobstructed on its interior surface and also composed of a series of longitudinally disposed round bars spaced from each other to provide gauging apertures of slightly greater width than the thickness of the units to be sorted, means for supporting said drum with its axis in inclined position, a sand receiving bin arranged below the sand sieving compartment and another independent bin having inclined longitudinally-extending bottom members arranged closely adjacent to thebottom of the gauging compartment and means for rota-ting said drum about said inclined axis, whereby the charge will be caused to have a helicoidal line of contact with the screen walls of said compartments and all the sand, dust, small pieces and like matter will'in the iirst compartment be separated, all perfect' units will be gauged and separated in the second compartment and imperfect and stuck-together units will be discharged through the discharge opening. In witness whereof, .I have signed my nameto the foregoing specification.

RUSSELL i?. HERROLD. 

